Guide to temporary entry into Italy under CETA

This guide is for a Canadian business person temporarily travelling to Italy to do business. It provides general information about temporary entry and stay requirements for business people under CETA and under Italian law. This guide aims to facilitate the entry of Canadian business people into Italy for the purposes of exploring, entering and/or expanding operations in the Italian market. You will find relevant links and summaries of the main steps for work permit and visa applications, including costs and length, for the categories of business people covered in CETA.

Before you travel:

This guide is for information only. It is not the official text of CETA or Italian law. Always verify information using the text of the Agreement and official government sources of the country you wish to do business in. You may also seek advice from licensed or authorised individuals like an immigration lawyer or immigration consultant.

Familiarize yourself with the and before your business travel.

Short-term business visitor

Do I qualify as a short-term business visitor under CETA?

Under CETA, a short-term business visitor is a Canadian traveling to Italy for one of the following activities:

meetings and consultations
research and design
marketing research
training seminars
trade fairs and exhibitions
sales negotiations (cannot deliver goods or services themselves)
purchasing
after-sales or after-lease service
commercial transactions (management and supervisory or financial services personnel only)
tourism/travel operations
translation and interpretation

The detailed list of activities can be found under Annex 10-D of CETA.

A short-term business visitor cannot:

sell a good or a service to the general public
receive payment from a source located in Italy
provide any other service to a consumer in Italy that is not listed under activities of a business visitor

Under CETA, a Canadian short-term business visitor can stay in Italy for up to 90 in a 180-day period.

Do I need a work permit or visa as a short-term business visitor under CETA?

Under CETA, an eligible short-term business visitor does not need a work permit, but may need a visa.

Under Italian law, Canadian short-term business visitors do not need a Schengen C visa to enter Italy. You are entitled to stay within any country of the Schengen area for up to 90 days in a 180-day period.

Canadian companies can also send non-Canadian nationals locally hired in Canada for short-term business travel in Italy. In this case, a Schengen C visa may be required, if they are not nationals of a visa exempt country. You must file applications for Schengen C visas with the relevant Italian Consulate/Embassy. The processing time is approximately 2 weeks.

Related links

(PDF)

Under Italian law, you do not need a work permit, as long as your reason for entry is one of the following activities:

attending internal meetings, discussions or conferences
attending client meetings
attending a conference, seminar or exposition
making contacts
conducting economic or commercial negotiations
learning or verifying the functioning of equipment/machinery purchased or sold under commercial and industrial cooperation agreements with Italian company
professional refresher training relevant to the functioning of equipment/machinery purchased or sold under commercial and industrial cooperation agreements with Italian company
visiting Italian company facilities
participating in exhibitions and trade fairs in Italy

If you are visiting an Italian host company, you must also meet the following requirements:

the visit should be more for the benefit of the Canadian employer than an Italian host company
you must be paid by and receive your instructions from the Canadian company
your activities should not be billable by an Italian host company to its own customers

The Canadian company sending their employees to Italy on business trips must make sure that:

business visitors remain under directions of the Canadian employer
any profits from the activity in Italy go to the Canadian employer
business visitors continue to be paid by the Canadian employer
services performed by the business visitors are not ones which an Italian worker would have to be hired for, are not inherently part of the Italian labour market, and are not primarily benefitting the Italian entity as local work. Business visitors are not travelling to Italy to undertake gainful employment

Business visitor for investment purposes

Note: The business visitors for investment purposes category is covered under CETA, but does not exist under Italian law. A Canadian business visitor for investment purposes may qualify under the short-term business visitor category. To explore other paths for entry into Italy, please consult

Do I qualify as a business visitor for investment purposes under CETA?

Under CETA, a Canadian business visitor for investment purposes is a Canadian manager or specialist responsible for setting up an enterprise in Italy.

A Canadian business visitor for investment purposes cannot:

work directly with the general public in Italy
receive compensation from a source located in Italy

Under CETA, Canadian business visitors for investment purposes can stay in Italy 90 days within a 180-day period.

Do I need a work permit or visa as a business visitor for investment purposes under CETA?

This category does not exist under Italian law. There are no specific work permit or visa options for a Canadian business visitor for investment purposes.

However, a Canadian business visitor for investment purposes may qualify under the short-term business visitor category.

Investor

Do I qualify as an investor under CETA?

Under CETA, an investor is a Canadian supervisor or executive, responsible for establishing, developing, or operating an investment, that they or their employing enterprise have committed, or are in the process of committing, a substantial amount of capital to.

Under CETA, Canadian investors can stay in Italy for up to 1 year. Extensions are possible at the discretion of Italy’s officials.

Do I need a work permit or a visa as an investor under CETA?

Under Italian law, an investor should apply for the investor visa. This visa applies to non-EU nationals intending to make capital investments or donations that benefit the Italian economy.

An investor visa is valid for 2 years. Upon application, the visa is renewable for 3 years.

What are the eligibility requirements for the investor visa?

Under Italian law, the investor must either:

purchase 2 million EUR in Italian government bonds to be kept for a period of at least 2 years
invest 500,000 EUR in a company
invest 250,000 EUR in an “innovative start-up”, or
donate 1 million EUR in philanthropic projects of public interest

Other requirements:

the donation or investment is started and carried out within 3 months following entry into Italy
established firms are limited companies incorporated and based in Italy in accordance with the (Italian only, PDF) which translates to the Consolidated Law on Income Tax in English
the original investment is maintained for the entire length of the permit

If one of these conditions is not fulfilled, the permit may be revoked before the expiry date.

How do I apply for the investor visa?

There are 3 steps to obtaining a permit:

Step 1: Apply for a “Nulla Osta”, which translates to a certificate of no impediment in English.

to apply for a certificate of no impediment.

If successful, your certificate will be issued in 30 days.

Step 2: Apply for an investor visa at the appropriate Italian consulate. This application must be submitted within 6 months of receiving your certificate.

Step 3: Within 8 days of your arrival in Italy, file for your residence permit at a .

How much will it cost?

There is a cost of 116 EUR for the visa application and 80 EUR for the residence permit.

For more information about the application process and eligibility conditions refer to and .

Contractual services supplier

Do I qualify as a contractual services supplier under CETA?

Under CETA, a contractual services supplier is a Canadian service supplier employed by an enterprise in Canada with a contract to provide a service to a consumer in Italy in an eligible service sector. A list of eligible services sectors under CETA is found under CETA Annex 10-E, number 9.

A Canadian contractual service supplier must also:

have provided services as an employee of the contracted Canadian enterprise for at least 1 year before the date of their application for entry into Italy
have a university degree or equivalent qualifications
have at least 3 years of professional experience since the age of 18 in the sector of the contracted activity
have any professional qualifications required to practice the activity according to the laws or requirements in Italy

A Canadian contractual service supplier cannot get paid for their services during their stay in Italy other than what is paid to them by their Canadian employers.

The Canadian enterprise that employs a Canadian contractual service supplier cannot have any establishment in Italy.

Fulfillment of the contract must require the temporary presence of the Canadian contractual service supplier in Italy.

Under CETA, a Canadian contractual services supplier can stay in Italy for up to 12 months in any 24-month period, or for the duration of the contract, whichever is less. Extensions are possible at the discretion of Italy’s officials.

Do I need a work permit or a visa as a contractual services supplier under CETA?

There is no specific path for a Canadian contractual service supplier under Italian law. However, a Canadian contractual service supplier could apply for a Service Agreement Work Permit. This permit can be obtained for highly qualified employees on assignment from a Canadian company to an Italian entity .

This permit is valid for 2 years. It can be renewed for up to 4 years in total.

What are the eligibility requirements for a Service Agreement Work Permit?

To be eligible for a Service Agreement Work Permit, you must meet the following requirements:

you are highly skilled
you remain an employee of the sending company
the posting agency is notified of the assignment
there is a service level agreement in place between the sending and the host companies.

The permit can be obtained for activities in any sector.

How do I apply for a Service Agreement Work Permit?

There are 6 steps to obtaining this permit:

Step 1 : Gather supporting documents and notify the trade unions.

Step 2: Apply for a work permit. It takes approximately 1-6 months to receive after submitting

the application and all supporting documents, depending on the immigration office

Step 3: Apply for an entry visa. It takes approximately 7-21 days to receive from date of filing at the Italian consulate.

Step 4: Sign the “contract of stay” and residence permit application within 8 days of arrival in Italy.

Step 5: Submit fingerprints. This is usually automatically scheduled within 1-4 months from the residence permit filing date at the applicable police office.

Step 6: Collect residence permit within 1 to 3 months after submitting the fingerprints.

How much will it cost?

There is a cost of 32 EUR for the work permit, 116 EUR for the visa, and 148 EUR for the residence permit.

How long will it take?

Processing times vary based on the immigration and consular offices. Work permit approvals take approximately 1 to 6 months. Visa processing time is approximately 1 to 3 weeks.

Independent professional

Do I qualify as an independent professional under CETA?

Under CETA, an independent professional is a self-employed Canadian service supplier that is contracted to supply a service to a consumer in Italy in an eligible sector. A list of eligible services sectors under CETA is found under CETA Annex 10-E, number 9.

A Canadian independent professional must have:

at least 6 years of professional experience in the sector of the contracted activity at the date they apply for entry
a university degree or equivalent qualification
any professional qualifications required to practice the activity, according to the laws or requirements in Italy

Other requirements:

a Canadian independent professional must not have established an enterprise in Italy
fulfillment of the contract must require the temporary presence of the independent professional in Italy

Under CETA, a Canadian independent professional can stay in Italy for a total period of up to 12 months in a 24-month period, or for the duration of the contract, whichever is less. Extensions are possible at the discretion of Italy’s officials.

Do I need a work permit or a visa as an independent professional under CETA?

Under Italian law, a Canadian independent professional will need to apply for an independent professional permit. Independent professionals are regulated under the Italian Immigration Code.

The permit will typically be valid for up to 2 years. It can be renewed indefinitely at the discretion of Italian officials.

Despite commitments under CETA that no quotas should be applied to Canadian independent professionals, this category is subject to the annual immigration quotas in Italy. The One-Stop-Shop for Immigration and the Provincial Directorate of Labour will verify that you are eligible under the quota and that you have all the necessary requirements to carry out your self-employed activity.

What are the eligibility requirements for an independent professional permit?

To be eligible for an independent professional permit, you must show that:

you have adequate resources to engage in industrial, professional, craft or commercial activities in Italy, or to establish share companies or individual companies or hold corporate positions in Italy
you meet the legal requirements for the performance of the activity in question, including, when required, the prerequisites for entering into professional registers
you possess certification from the relevant authorities, dated no more than 3 months earlier, declaring that there are no reasons to prevent the issuing of the necessary authorisations or licenses
you are registered with the (Italian only)

How do I apply for an independent professional permit?

Step 1: Receive authorization from the administrative authority to perform the self-employed activity.

Which authority you apply to will depend on the nature of your activity, for example the issues authorisations to companies, while a special authorisation from the local departments of health is needed to open a restaurant or bar.

Step 2: Apply for an entry visa at the .

Step 3: Within 8 days of your arrival in Italy, apply for a residence permit at . You will also be scheduled to provide fingerprints at this time.

Step 4: Collect your residence permit within 1 to 3 months from the fingerprints provision.

How much will it cost?

There is a cost of 116 EUR for the visa, and 80 EUR for the residence permit.

How long will it take?

This type of visa is issued or denied within 120 days from the date when the application is submitted and has to be used within 180 days from its issue.

Intra-corporate transferee

Do I qualify as an intra-corporate transferee under CETA?

Under CETA, Canadian intra-corporate transferees are senior personnel, specialists, or graduate trainees at a Canadian enterprise who are being temporarily transferred to a subsidiary, branch, or head company of the Canadian enterprise in Italy.

Senior personnel are Canadian business people in a senior position within an enterprise who:

direct the management of the enterprise, a department or a sub-division
make a wide range of decisions, including recruitment, promotions and dismissals
receive only general supervision from higher-level executives, the board of directors, or stockholders or supervise and control the work of other supervisory, professional or managerial employees and exercise discretionary authority over day-to-day operations

Specialists are Canadian business people with:

uncommon knowledge of the enterprise's products or services and its application in international markets, or
an advanced level of expertise or knowledge of the enterprise's processes and procedures such as its production, research equipment, techniques, or management

In assessing such expertise or knowledge, Italy’s officials will consider abilities that are unusual and different from those generally found in a particular industry and that cannot be easily transferred to another business person in the short-term. These abilities are obtained through specific academic qualifications or extensive experience with the enterprise.

Graduate trainees are Canadian business people who:

have a university degree
are being temporarily transferred to an enterprise in Italy for career development purposes, or to obtain training in business techniques or methods

Under CETA, Canadian senior personnel and specialists can stay in Italy for 3 years or the length of the contract, whichever is shorter. Extensions of up to 18 months are possible at the discretion of Italy’s officials.

Canadian graduate trainees can stay in Italy for 1 year or the length of the contract, whichever is shorter.

Do I need a work permit or a visa as an intra-corporate transferee under CETA?

Under Italian law, a Canadian intra-company transferee will need an EU Intra-Corporate Transferees permit.

The permit will be valid for 3 years for managers and specialists, and 1 year for graduate trainees.

What are the eligibility requirements for an EU Intra-Corporate Transferees permit?

According to European law, in order to be eligible for an EU Intra-Corporate Transferee permit, you must show the following:

proof of your professional qualifications and experience or university degree as required

for your occupation

proof of your employment within the “group” of entities for 3 to 12 uninterrupted months immediately preceding the date of transfer for managers and specialists, and for 3 to 6 uninterrupted months for trainees
a work contract and, if necessary, an assignment letter from the employer containing details of the duration of the transfer and the location of the Italian entity, evidence of your position as a manager, specialist or trainee employee in Italy, and the remuneration as well as other terms and conditions of employment granted during the transfer

How do I apply for an EU Intra-Corporate Transferees permit?

Step 1: The Italian branch of the company must request an authorisation for your transfer from the immigration desk at the Prefettura (Office) set up in every Italian province.

The Immigration desk will notify the Italian branch of their authorisation for transfer within 45 days of the request.

Step 2: Apply for an entry visa at the .

Step 3: Within 8 days of your arrival in Italy, sign the “contract of stay” and apply for a residence permit application at . You will also be scheduled to provide fingerprints at this time.

Step 4: Collect your residence permit within 1 to 5 months after providing fingerprints.

How much will it cost?

Application costs are 32 EUR for the authorization, 115 EUR for the visa and 177 EUR for the residence permit.

How long will it take?

Processing times vary. Requests for authorizations should be submitted at least 3 months in advance.

What if I am a business person from a category that is not covered?

Entry into Italy for Canadian business people not belonging to any of the categories covered under the CETA is subject to Italy’s acts and regulations governing entry and stay.

To explore other paths for entry into Italy, please consult

Disclaimer: The information contained herein is current as of July 2023 (national immigration legislations may change, sometimes at short notice). It is offered for informational purposes only and does not constitute general legal advice. The information: (i) must be regarded as a practical guide for general information and not a process guide for determining the specific immigration requirements of the countries covered, (ii) should not be a substitute for a more in-depth analysis of applicable facts and circumstances (including, without limitation, criminal or health-related circumstances) conducted by competent professionals, (iii) indicated processing times and fees herein are approximate, are subject to the specific case circumstances, and change. The information herein does not guarantee the outcome or approval of any particular immigration application.

Date modified:: 2024-02-12

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